Process for producing water-repellent cellulose-containing materials and products therefrom



Patented July -16,1940

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

- 2.20am I PROCESS FOR PRODUCING WATER-REPEL- CEILULOSE-CONTAINING MATE- msLs AND rnonuo'rs Tamar-130M; I

New York No Drawing. Application April 11, 1936, Serial No. 73,976. In Germany April 18, 1935 13 Claims.

This invention relates to processes for produ'cing water-repellent textile materials and products therefrom.

i It. has been suggested heretofore that waterrepellence be produced in textile materials by treatment with esterifying agents such as fatty acid chlorides or fatty acid anhydrides. In the execution of these processes, however, diiliculties have been encountered due to unfavorable reaction conditions whereby the appearance and feel of the goods is changed. These processes also require considerable time and expense for operation. 1

The principal object of the present invention is to increase water-resistance in wool and cellulose-containing material such as cotton, jute,.

linen, hemp and various artificial silks, by a simple process to be carried out in .a relatively short time and with less expense than that of the chlorides and anhydrides mentioned above;

of processes according to which 'such'products are manufactured, the specific embodiments of which are described hereinafter by way of example and in accordance with which I now prefer to practice the invention.

It has now been found that by slight etheriflcation of cellulose or its derivatives or wool by means of higher aliphatic aldehydes or by substances splitting oil? such aldehydes, an increase in water-repelleneeis secured and the beauty of the goods is increased. At the same time the feel of the goods is not substantially altered.

In accordance with the invention the aldehydes employed are those which have an alkyl or naphthene residue of at least 10 carbonatoms in 40 a straight chain (not including any carbon atoms in groups substituted in the chain). Thus for instance lauric aldehyde, stearic aldehyde, be-

henic aldehyde, cerotic aldehyde, montanic aldehyde, etc. may be employed. There may also be used aliphatic aldehydes in which the carbon chain is interruptedby atoms or atomic groups 0,

S, 00.0, O.CQ,'NR, NRCO, CO.NR, S02, NR.SO:," S02.NR, in which R is equal tohydrogen or a 1 C1sHaz.O.CHz.CHO

aldehyde .of tetradecyl ether 0! the thioglycollc aldehyde of hexadecyl ether of the glycolic azide azide C14H2a.S.CH2.CH.Q, aldehyde of stearic acid ester of the glycolic azide 10 As representative of substances which will give oir aldehydes, di-ethyl-acetal of stearic aldehyde may be used. 15

The said aldehydes have an exceptionally great reactivity towards textile materials especially cellulose and cellulose derivatives so that the reaction with the aldehyde takes place within a very short time without the use of special re- 20 agents. Catalysts may be used to accelerate the process but their use is'not absolutely necessary. The impregnation of the textile material'with the products claimed can be effected in any desired manner with or without the use oforganic solvents, by emulsifying the aldehyde in aqueoussolution, by immersion of the material to be treated or by spraying it or like procedure. If a solvent is employed it is removed. After the material is impregnated it is heated for a short while at a temperature above approximately 0., preferably 100-160 C. The aldehydes herein mentioned can be prepared by known processes.

The process may be carried out on yarns, fabrics or in other condition as desired. In connection with artificial silk the process may be em-. ployed for example with acetyl cellulose to produce etherification during the spinning process. In this case a solution of the aldehyde is added to the solution of' acetyl cellulosein acetone or 'the'like' and the spinning follows in the customary manner. It is also possible to effect the surface etherificationimmediatelyafter the spinning process by passing thespun threads through the solution of the aldehyde.

The following are examples of embodiments of the invention as we now prefer to practice it. Specific limitation to these examples is not intended except as indicated inthe appended claims..

V 1 Examples LA clothing material of Vistra fiber (spun viscose rayon) is passed through a 0.5% solution of stearic aldehyde CrzHzaCHO in light benziney the solvent is evaporated and the material is sub 55 jected for 5 minutes to a temperature of C. 21-Material of pure acetate silk taifeta is sprayed with a 1% solution of behenic aldehyde C21H43.CHO in benzine; the solvent is evaporated and the material is exposed toa .temperature of 140 C. for 4 minutes.

3. Dyed hosiery of Bemberg silk (cuprammonium artificial silk) is immersed in 0.75% solution of montanic aldehyde C27H55.CHO in a hot solution of benzol at 40 C. Thereupon the material is removed and after evaporation of the solvent is treated for 2 minutes at 160 C.

4. A clothing material of pure wool is passed through a 4 0.5% solution of stearic aldehyde C17H35.CHO in light benzine; the solvent is evaporated and the material is subjected for 60 minutes to a temperature of 100 C.

5. To 1000 liters of a 20% solution of acetyl cellulose in acetone 1 kilo palmitin aldehyde Ciel-I31. CHO is added and this mixture is spun as customary. The finished spun yarn is finally Qcellulose R O HO +2151 .cellulose R. C H

O.cellulosc where R1 is a straight chain containing at least carbon atoms.

The process of the invention, particularly as set forth in the specific embodiments above, may be carried out with simple apparatus at relatively small expense and in a relatively short time. The products show an improved appearance, their feel as compared with similar untreated material is not substantially altered, and have a high degree of water-repellence which does not rapidly disappear upon cleansing by laundering or otherwise of the materials produced.

In the claims where the expression cellulosecontaining material is employed it is intended to cover fibers, yarns, fabrics or other forms of cotton, jute, linen, hempor rayon including viscose, cuprammonium, or other precipitated cellulose or derivatives of cellulose such as acetyl cellulose.

The aldehydes herein mentioned have been prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of the corresponding fatty acid chlorides. Such process is described in the literature, particular reference being made to German Patent 333,154.

While the invention has been described in detail according to the preferred manner of carrying out the process, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A process for the ennoblement of textile material which comprises impregnating the textile material with an aliphatic aldehyde having at least 10 carbon atoms and heatingv the impregnated material to produce a surface etherification in order to strengthen the material and to increase its water-repellence. I

2. A process for the ennobling of textile material which comprises impregnating. cellulose-containing material with an aldehyde of the group consisting of aliphatic aldehyde's'and naphthenic ,aldehydes, which.contains a radical of at least 10 carbon atoms and heating the impregnated material to produce a slight etherification of the material by said aldehyde, to increase the waterrepellence of said material.

3. A process for the ennobling of cellulose containing material which comprises impregnating the cellulose-containing material with an allphatic aldehyde, which contains an alkyl radical of at least 10 carbon atoms and heating the impregnated material to produce a surface etherification of the cellulose by said aldehyde, .to increase the water-repellence of said material.

4. A process for the ennobling of cellulose-containing material which comprises subjecting an artificial silk to reaction of a straight chain aldehyde having more than 10 carbon atoms in the chain for a short period at a temperature above 100 C. to produce a surface etherification of the silk and to increase the water-repellence thereof.

5. 'A process for the ennobling of cellulose-containing material which comprises subjecting a viscose fiber to a solution of stearic aldehyde,

evaporating the solvent and subjecting the silk to a temperature of about 150 C, for about 5 minutes to increase the water-repellence of said silk.

6. A process for the ennobling of cellulose-containing material which comprises subjecting an acetate silk with solution of a behenic aldehyde, evaporating the solvent and exposing the so treated silk to a temperature of 140 C. for about 4 minutes to increase the water-repelle'nce of said silk.

7. A process for the ennobling of cellulose-containing material which comprises subjecting a cuprammonium silk to a solution of montanic aldehyde at about 40 C., removing the solvent and heating the so treated silk for about 2 minutes at about 160 C. 1

8. A process for the ennobling of textile material which comprises subjecting wool to reaction .Qfistraight chain aldehyde having more than ten carbon atoms in the chain for a short period at a temperature above one hundred degrees C. to produce a surface etherification of the wool and to increase the water-repellence thereof.

9. A process for the ennoblement of textile material which comprises impregnating the textile material with a straight chain aldehyde which contains a radical of at least ten carbon atoms, the linkage of said radical to the aldehyde group being interrupted by a group selected from the following: 0, S, 00.0, 0.00, NR, NR.CO, CONR, S02, NR.SO2, SO2.NR, in which R is hydrogen or a hydrocarbon radical, and heating the impregnated material to produce a surface etherification to' increase the water-repellence of said textile material.

Y 10. A superficially etherified cellulosic textile material in which the ether group comprises an V aliphatic radical of at least ten carbon atoms, said etherified material being water-repellent, and said ether group being linked to the cellulose in acetal formation.

11. A superficially etherified cellulosic textile material in which the ether group comprises a naphthenic radical of at least ten carbon atoms, said etherified material being water-repellent, and said ether group being linkedto the cellulose in acetal formation.

12. A material according to claim 10, in which, instead of cellulosic textile material, wool is employed.

13. A material according to claim 11 in which, instead of cellulosic textile material, wool is employed.

WALTHER KAASE. ERNST WALTMANN. 

